In The Real World

The average undergraduate student has spent three-fourths of his life in school by the time he graduates from college. And for many, that is more than enough. For others, though, 17 years of schooling cannot prepare them for the lives they want. These academics need to put in even more time studying, doing research, attending lectures and panicking over exams. After two to five more years in school, these people finally find themselves ready to work at their chosen careers. But, finally, after 23 years within the confines of various classrooms, what does it feel like to suddenly be thrust into the 'real world?' On campuses across the country, graduate and professional students are getting ready to leave academia, and enter the realm of the workforce. Some say they are nervous and sad to leave the familiar confines of the school environment. They worry about finding jobs, leaving friends and having to be completely self-sufficient for the first time in their lives. But others say they are excited and enthusiastic, glad to finally be making money instead of just spending it, and glad to be moving on. Most University graduate and professional students in the Class of 1994 seem to fall into this latter category. They may have had past experience in the workforce or they may just crave an escape from the school routine, but, either way, these students are poised to reap the rewards of years of study. While third-year Law School student Rich Silverstein jokes that he "put in seven long years" in college and law school, he also laments about what his life will be like without the University and the city. "The social life at Penn is really good," he said. "For me, personally, working -- that's going to change drastically." Although he had hoped to find a job and stay in Philadelphia, which he came to love during his years at the Law School, Silverstein will move back to his hometown, Chicago, when he graduates. Silverstein considers himself lucky, though. Some of his friends cannot find jobs at all. "People who have had it hard have had it really difficult," he said. "When I started [law] school, people were pretty confident that they were going to come out and find phenomenal jobs," he added. "And that's not the case." Still, Silverstein feels the University's prestige ultimately helped him find work in a competitive market. "I know people who go to city schools in Chicago, and they don't have any chance of finding a job," he said. "I feel like I'm just sort of marking time," said Wharton graduate student Robin Kelly, who will graduate this May. "And I feel like I'm ready to get on with my life." Kelly knows about life in the 'real world' -- she worked for three years before returning to school for her M.B.A. Now, although she will miss the friends she has made at the University, Kelly is eager to return to the workforce. "Basically I'm just ready to start earning money again," she said. "I'm ready to just go out and do it at this point." Kelly does not regret returning to earn her degree, though. She and her husband, a medical intern, have both lined up jobs in Minneapolis, Minn., a feat made possible, she says, because of her Wharton education. "[We'll be living in] a totally different part of the country, and that's exciting," she said. "There are companies all over the country that are looking for Wharton graduates." According to fifth-year medical student Albert Tsai, his colleagues at the Medical School have had almost no trouble finding internships in their chosen specialties. Medical internships are allotted through a unique "matching" system, in which students visit and rank hospitals as potential employers, and hospitals rank acceptable candidates. Each student is then matched with one hospital. While waiting for a match can be a harrowing experience, Tsai says a degree from the Medical School all but insures a good placement. "Coming from Penn, I think everyone pretty much matches in what they want to do," Tsai said. "Coming from Penn, we pretty much take for granted that we'll get to do what we want." Although leaving school is "intimidating" for Tsai, he looks forward to life after graduation. "I'm ready to enter the real world," he said. "It's sort of exciting to go to the next level." Wharton graduate student Lynn Owens worked for eight years before returning to school, and she, like Kelly, is excited to re-enter the working world. "I am ready to get back to work," she said. "I enjoy getting paid, I enjoy contributing to the GNP, so I am definitely ready." Owens, who considered her two years at the University "an okay experience," has advice for anyone considering graduate school. "If you're going back, you'd better be interested in what you're going to spend two years studying," she said. "It's all you talk about at school, it's all you talk about with your friends, it's all you think about at home." She said graduate school also has benefits, though. Owens said she and her friends at Wharton all landed jobs which suited their "priorities," either through location, specialty, salary or a combination of the three. "I have been so excited about how all of this is working out for everybody," she said of her friends' successes. Owens is quick to add, though, that an M.B.A. from Wharton does not guarantee a great job after graduation. "I think [what lands the job] is a combination of Wharton, past experience and the personality of the [candidate]," she said. "Definitely Wharton gets you the interview, but if they don't like you?you're not going to get the job." Nursing graduate student and mother of two Margaret Bookman said she is not looking for a job right away. When she does begin her job hunt, however, Bookman is confident that she will have an easy time of it. Bookman, who used to work at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, was reminded during her studies that not every nurse graduates from the University. "You forget [working at HUP] that people are actually impressed by Penn," she said. "It's a big deal." Unlike most graduating students, Bookman is looking forward to enjoying a less demanding life when she re-enters the workforce than she has had in school. "[Working] is not going to be any harder than balancing a family and graduate school," she said. "I think it's going to be a lot easier." Like Bookman, Wharton graduate student Myungki Lee has not looked for a job for after graduation. Lee already has a job with a corporation in South Korea. Lee's employer paid for his two years at the University. Although Lee's advanced education is certain to benefit the corporation, Lee says he does not expect a promotion or a pay raise as a result of earning his MBA. In his employer's eyes and in his own, the corporation is "already doing [him] a "favor" by financing his education.